SimplyAbuDhabi XLII

The luxurious model first crafted by James Edwards Ltd in 1905 is still made today as the Savoir Nº2 bed set. Featuring the signature Trellis ticking designed by Lady D’Oyly Carte herself, the iconic pattern has graced every Savoir bed since its inception, paying homage to the brand’s historical ties to The Savoy Hotel and its dedication to unmatched elegance. The brand’s history extends beyond the confines of a traditional bed manufacturer; it is a custodian of a century-old legacy that has evolved without compromising on its founding principles. In a world where trends come and go, it is a beacon of enduring quality and timeless luxury. Every bed crafted by Savoir is imbued with the spirit of its storied past, a legacy of craftsmanship that continues to captivate a variety of clientele worldwide. The ethos of “making the best, not the most” remains at the core of Savoir’s identity, ensuring that each bed lasts a lifetime, handcrafted with precision and passion, just as it was over a century ago. This devotion to tradition and an openness to change and innovation, have been the driving force behind Savoir’s evolution. Savoir has since expanded its repertoire to offer five core bed models, all stemming from the iconic Nº2. The Nº1, Nº2, Nº3, Nº4 and the Nº4v now grace an array of the most exquisite homes, villas, hotels, yachts, and cruise ships worldwide. Each bed is tailor-made through a meticulous process that begins with a ‘fitting’ in a Savoir showroom, where Bed Experts engage with clients in discussions to understand their needs and preferences. Each mattress is made to provide the precise level of support for each individual, offering a split-tension option, so you and your partner can have different support in the same bed. Over time, Savoir has crafted bespoke beds for numerous high- profile clients from Madonna and Elton John to Liza Minnelli and Emma Thompson, who since sleeping on a Savoir has claimed to have “never had a sleepless night since.” It is only through the exceptional skills of its craftspeople that Savoir has the control and ability to tailor each bed to any specifications. With its Bedworks in London and Wales, Savoir craftspeople work intently to handcraft each bed to an extraordinary quality. Withholding the same ethos from when the original Savoy Bed was made, Savoir operates on the notion that perfection cannot be hurried. The process is a far cry from conventional factory settings. Instead of hulking machines, the Bedworks exude a calm, light, and airy ambience. Highly skilled craftspeople work at individual oak trestles, with the silence broken only by the tapping of tacks, material in motion, and exchanges of ideas between colleagues. Using prestige natural materials demands a different approach – hand processes that cannot be replicated by machines. Using machines only to de-rope and card its horse tail, cut its headboards and curl the springs - everything else Savoir creates is done seamlessly by hand. A single craftsperson takes each item from inception to completion and only when completely satisfied do they sign, like an artist, on the label. Arjoon, the London Bedworks foreman, exemplifies the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship. Having crafted beds by hand since 1987, Arjoon is one of the three original Savoy craftsmen inherited by Savoir in 1997. He has trained most of the current team, underscoring the brand’s loyalty to preserving and passing on time-honoured techniques. The standards are so high that it takes at least a year to teach an apprentice the techniques necessary for making a Savoir bed base – two years if you include mattresses and headboards. The dedication to traditional craft differentiates Savoir from its competitors, with the materials used within the bed making the quality and comfort incomparable. Savoir selects only the finest natural materials, such as wool, cashmere, and horse tail hair. Horse tail, in particular, stands out as the undisputed kind of fillings, owing to its length, making it the finest filling available. Savoir places the material at the heart of every bed model, using more per bed than any other bed manufacturer. The horse tail used by Savoir is sourced from South America due to its high and consistent quality levels. Steam-cleaned at a high temperature without chemicals, the horse tail is twisted tightly and left for at least three months to acquire a permanent curl. The crafting process involves skilled craftspeople gently pulling the untwisted hair rope into smaller sections, which are then processed using Savoir’s trusty 1920’s carding machine. The resulting cloud of curly hair is a testament to the intricate and labour-intensive process. The length of the tail hair ensures that each strand holds many curls, creating micro-springs that contribute to unparalleled bounce and longevity. Millions of these springs go into just one bed, hand-teased onto the mattress, topper, or box spring by Savoir’s craftspeople. Beyond the luxurious feel, horse tail offers additional benefits. Being naturally hollow, it has a greater surface area towickawaymoisture, contributing to the regulationof body temperature for a supremely comfortable night’s sleep. Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a Sleep Scientist at Harvard Medical School and Sleep Expert to Savoir, emphasises the importance of a sleeping surface that allows airflow to circulate through the night, with a cool environment facilitating faster entry into deeper sleep stages. She suggests that a bed made from natural, breathable, and thermo-regulating materials is crucial for maintaining a cool body temperature, thereby improving the quality of sleep. This commitment to scientific principles, combined with craftsmanship, underscores Savoir’s holistic approach to luxury sleep. The craftsmanship goes beyond comfort – it extends to the design and styling of the bed. Savoir offers infinite customisation options, allowing clients to envision the most intricate integrations and shapes. The Savoir team is dedicated to fulfilling every client’s exacting requirements, offering unlimited fabric options for upholstery and various shapes and sizes for the headboard. The process is comparable to an artist with a blank canvas and no constraints. A testament to this commitment to customisation is The Three Sixty, a bed born out of a customer’s dilemma in choosing the view to see from the bed in their chateau in the South of France. The solution became an extraordinary bed that would revolve 360 degrees, offering the occupant the luxury of selecting their preferred view with a simple turn. Defying convention, the bed discreetly introduces turntable technology to the world of sleep, perfectly combining functionality with luxury. Imagine waking up to the sunrise over the French Riviera and, with a gentle touch on an app, effortlessly pivoting to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in the evening. Crafting The Three Sixty is a meticulous process that embodies Savoir’s dedication to precision and luxury. The crafting journey takes over 300 hours, with 120 hours contributed to completing the Nº1 bed set, and an additional 180 hours devoted to crafting the supporting frames and headboard. Like with all Savoir beds, each element of The Three Sixty is carefully considered, from the perfectly poised reading lights to the incorporation of power and USB outlets for modern convenience. As clients continue to seek more than just a place to rest, the Three Sixty emerges as a symbol of Savoir’s commitment to fulfilling the unique and evolving needs of its clientele. Over the years, Savoir has designed and curated an array of bed designs, many of which have been created alongside some of the world’s leading designers, impressionists, and contemporary artists to offer exclusive and unique design inspiration to its clientele. Savoir also holds the unique capability to combine art with handcrafted sleep. Through an artful collaboration with the prestigious National Gallery in London, Savoir can upholster, customise, and align some of the world’s finest paintings onto their beds using specialist bespoke, digitally printed fabrics. Whether Monet, Degas, or Rembrandt inspire you, the National Gallery owned collection has 2300 paintings to choose from, and endless possibilities for how the chosen imagery can be used. Throughout the process, the Savoir team liaises with the National Gallery to guarantee it preserves the integrity of one of the greatest art institutes in the world. Handcrafting a bed that stands the test of time and displays a work of art is not a quick process. However, it’s a process that empowers and motivates Savoir craftspeople. Like artists that adorn the walls of the National Gallery, they sign their name on the label of every bed they create. Continuing its innovative streak, Savoir recently introduced Savoir at Sea, an exclusive yacht service catering to its super yacht clientele. This bespoke service encapsulates the brand’s commitment to personalised comfort, allowing skilled craftspeople to create tailored beds to fit any yacht specification. Mattresses can be made to fit existing bed frames and berths of different shapes and sizes, including rounded corners, cutouts, and curves. For the ultimate Simply Abu Dhabi | 301